Atlanta Sod – New Lawns (Sod)

Designing Dreams and Building Memories

It happens to the best of us…we get busy with life and forget to take time for the little things….like mowing and fertilizing our lawn for instance. Okay, that’s not really fair; we do cut the grass but is that enough? Well, if your lawn has seen better days and you’re looking to recapture the lush, green space you once called a yard, then let us help. Our professional installers will do everything from preparation, to nutrient supplementation to the final installation of your new lawn. Imagine leaving for work at 7:00 am and when you get home at 6:00 pm, you have a brand new lawn. It’s like magic…only it isn’t because you paid us to do it…but it is kind of like that….except the part where you had to pay us….but you get the point!

Sod (or turf) is grass and the part of the soil beneath it held together by the roots, or a piece of this material. The term sod may be used to mean turf grown and cut specifically for the establishment of lawns. Sod (or turf) for lawns is grown on specialist farms. It is usually grown locally to avoid long transport and drying out and heat buildup of the product. It is then sold to landscapers who use it to establish a lawn quickly and avoid soil erosion. The farms that produce this grass may have many varieties of grass grown in one location to best suit the consumer's use and preference of appearance. It is usually harvested 10 to 18 months after planting. On the farm it undergoes fertilization, frequent watering, frequent mowing and subsequent vacuuming to remove the clippings. It is harvested using specialized equipment, precision cut to standardized sizes. Sod is typically harvested in small square slabs, rolled rectangles, or large 4-foot wide rolls. Some large sod farms may export internationally. Because of the product's short life after harvest, the sod may be washed clean of the soil down to the bare roots (or sprigs) which makes shipping lighter and cheaper. Sod can be used to repair a small area of lawn that has died.

Sodding vs. Seeding
Seed may be blown about by the wind, eaten by birds, or fail due to drought. It takes some weeks to form a visually appealing lawn, and further time before it is robust enough for use. Turf largely avoids these problems, and with proper care, newly laid sod is usually fully functional within 30 days of installation and its root system is comparable to that of a seeding lawn two or three years older.
Turf is however more expensive, and requires considerably more water for its establishment.

CostDifferent types of sod will have different pricing. The availability of sod grasses is generally dependent on where the lawn is located climate-wise. For the United States, landscapers in the southern states will generally sod a lawn according to the following conditions:

Bermuda - Ideal for full sun and high traffic areas

Zoysia – Premium Warm-Season (turns brown in Winter) grass ideal where sunlight is present for approximately 5 or more hours per day

Tilling techniqueUsing this method the existing lawn is first tilled thoroughly before the sod is applied. There are two variations of the tiller technique. In the first variation, called the tiller-to-the-grass technique, only the top grass is tilled off and the tilled grass is hauled away leaving just soil on which to apply the sod – no grass remains. This creates a smooth and loose bed on which to install the sod. Some landscapers prefer this smooth and loose bed.

In the second variation, called the till-it-all technique, existing grass, as well as the soil underneath holding the grass, are tilled together. The old grass is in effect mixed in with the existing soil creating the surface on which the sod will be installed. Some landscapers prefer this method because it creates the bed on which the sod is installed upfront and without further effort.

Some prefer not to use a tiller to prepare the area to be sodded. They claim that if a neighbor or children were to walk over the newly established sod in the first few days after the installation, the turf would become uneven. The claim is that the soil underneath is still very loose.

Fertilizer Application
Sarros Landscaping, Inc. begins sod preparations by covering the newly tilled area with a 100% Organic, Non-Toxic Poultry Fertilizer. This ensures that the new sod will have all of the proper nutrients needed to thrive in your landscape.

WateringExcept in wet weather, newly installed sod will require watering on a daily basis, preferably in the morning, for at least one month. If not watered regularly before the grass has rooted into the soil beneath the turf, the turf may die, either at the edges, in patches, or overall. Constant care and inspection is required during the first three months after installation

Please tell us more about your new lawn or sod project by completing our Design Request Form. We will review your comments and one of our designers will contact you within 24 business hours.